Jazz great’s brother killed in Md. car crash The brother of iconic jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd was killed when the driver of another vehicle crashed into his car in Anne Arundel County, police said.
Joe Byrd, an accomplished bass musician himself, was killed when a sport utility vehicle crashed into the driver’s side of a Volvo that Byrd was driving, police said.
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It happened around 3 p.m. Tuesday at Solomons Island Road near Lee Airpark Drive in Edgewater.
Byrd had just left the bank, and was less than a mile from his home, said his wife, Elana Byrd.
“When Joe didn’t come home, I thought it was the traffic it was so bad, then I realized he could have been in the accident and he was,” Elana Byrd said.
For more than 40 years, Joe and Charlie performed together, traveling the world and visiting more than 100 countries.
Joe Byrd has performed at the White House for three presidents.
Police said there is no evidence at this time that excessive speed or alcohol were factors in the crash, but the investigation is ongoing.
— Scott McCabe
